Readers Have Their Say: The 10 Greatest British TV Dramas of All-Time

We’ve seen two major re-imaginings of Arthur Conan Doyle‘s detective stories in recent years – the Guy Ritchie action extravaganza (with Robert Downey Jr.) and the BBC adaptation. Those who’ve watched both almost unanimously prefer the latter. Much of the British series’ acclaim is owed to Steven Moffat‘s clever, kinetic update of Holmes’s tales from 19th century London to the Digital Age. But credit must be given to Benedict Cumberbatch, an actor of endless intellectual and comedic gifts, who has vigorously shaken the cobwebs off the legendary detective. (Own it on DVD.)

Kevin Wicks

Kevin Wicks founded BBCAmerica.com's Anglophenia blog back in 2005 and has been translating British culture for an American audience ever since. While not British himself—he was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri—he once received inordinate hospitality in London for sharing the name of a dead but beloved EastEnders character. His Anglophilia stems from a high school love of Morrissey, whom he calls his "gateway drug" into British culture.